FTTH (Fiber To The Home) network is an optical access network providing a number of end users with communication services, e.g. with services requiring data transmission at a rate of some hundreds of Mbit/s or more.
Typically, FTTH network comprises a distribution cabinet located in the basement of the building where the end users reside and an optical cable (that is usually termed “in-line cable” or “riser cable”) exiting the distribution cabinet. Typically, the in-line cable vertically runs through the building from the basement up to all the building floors.
At each floor of the building, one or more optical cables (usually termed “drop cables”) may branch off from the in-line cable. The optical connection between the in-line cable and the one or more drop cables is typically made within a so-called optical transition box. Accordingly, each drop cable has an end optically connected to the in-line cable within the optical transition box. The opposite end of the drop cable is connectorized, i.e. at least one optical fiber of the drop cable is connected to a respective optical connector. The connectorized end of the drop cable is typically housed in an optical termination box located in the apartment of an end user. The optical termination box has openings allowing the end user to easily access the optical connectors and connect to them one or more end user equipments (e.g. an Optical Network Termination like a set-top-box, etc.) for accessing the communication services provided by the FTTH network.
Alternatively, the drop cables may directly exit the distribution cabinet. In that case, the FTTH network comprises neither an in-line cable nor an optical transition box. Each drop cable runs through the building from the basement directly up to the apartment of an end user. The end of the drop cable located in the apartment is connectorized and housed in an optical termination box.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,045 describes a multi-media connection housing. The housing receives a fiber cable. The fiber cable has four optical fibers, each being attached via an optical connector to an adapter, such as ST, SC or FC adapter. The housing includes a base plate that is mountable on a wall surface or the like adjacent to a portion from which a fiber cable extends. The housing includes a cover that is removably connected to the base plate to define a substantially enclosed interior area. When optical fibers extend to the housing in a surface mounted conduit or the like in the office or home, the cables enter the interior area of the housing through breakout raceway openings in a selected side of the cover. Further, the baseplate has a cable access aperture. The cable access aperture is sized to receive the optical fibers therethrough, for example when the base plate is mounted to a wall surface or the like over a conventional electric box within the wall that receives telecommunication cables routed through the wall.
The Applicant has noticed that the multimedia connection housing described by U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,045 (that is basically an optical termination box) has some drawbacks.
Indeed, for installing one of these optical termination boxes in the apartment of an end user, an operator should lay down a drop cable from the optical transition box (or from the distribution cabinet, in case the drop cable directly exits the distribution cabinet) to the apartment of the end user within a suitable duct. In the apartment of the end user, the operator should cut the drop cable to a suitable length and connect its optical fibers (e.g. by means of optical fiber splices) to respective optical connectors. Then, the operator should arrange the extra-length of the optical fibers, the optical fiber splices and the optical connectors in the optical termination box. The optical termination box is then fixed to a wall of the apartment. To this purpose, the operator should usually drill a suitable number of holes in the wall, and then fix the base of the optical termination box to the wall by means of screws or other fastening elements. Finally, the operator should remove one of the raceway breakouts from the side of the cover for allowing passage of the drop cable, and close the optical termination box by applying the cover onto the base plate.
Therefore, installing one of the above known optical termination boxes disadvantageously requires performing a number of operations within the apartment of the end user. Accordingly, the installation time within the apartment of the end user is disadvantageously long (typically, about half an hour). The installation may then be inconvenient for the end user.
Further, making optical fibers splices and handling optical fibers, optical fiber splices and optical connectors for arranging them on the base are critical steps that should be performed by a skilled operator. Indeed, optical fibers, optical fiber splices and connectors are very delicate, and they should be accordingly handled very carefully. If the operator is not skilled or not careful enough, he may disadvantageously damage them during installation.
The risk of damaging the content of the optical termination box is even higher while the operator drills the holes and fixes the base plate to the wall. For instance, the operator may inadvertently break an optical fiber splice or pierce an optical fiber while he screws the base to the wall. Further, dust and/or wall fragments produced while the operator drills the holes may fall onto the base, and may damage the optical fibers, the optical fiber splices or the optical connectors arranged on the base.